What is the name of the computer program that creates KenKen puzzles?

The computer program that creates today's KenKen puzzles is called the Kenerator.

In which newspaper did KenKen puzzles first appear daily?

The New York Times

The Times (UK)

The Japan Times

The Times (UK) first began publishing KenKen puzzles daily in March 2008.

Which company began marketing KenKen worldwide?

Nextoy

Hasbro

Mattel

Nextoy, LLC began marketing the puzzle worldwide in 2008.

Which was the first American magazine to run KenKen puzzles?

Mental Floss

Reader's Digest

Scientific American

In 2009, Reader's Digest became the first U.S. magazine to publish a KenKen puzzle.

Which U.S. puzzle guru helped popularize KenKen?

David Hoyt

Bobby Fischer

Will Shortz

Will Shortz has been the editor of The New York Times' crossword puzzle since 1993.

What grid sizes are used in KenKen puzzles?

3-by-3 to 9-by-9

4-by-4 to 8-by-8

5-by-5 to 9-by-9

KenKen puzzle grids must be at least 3-by-3 and no larger than 9-by-9.

What are the outlined boxes within the puzzles called?

coops

cages

corrals

The outlined boxes within each KenKen grid are called cages.

What math function might be specified in each cage?

only addition or subtraction

only multiplication or division

addition, subtraction, multiplication or division

Each cage might specify the use of addition, subtraction, multiplication or division.

What is the rule regarding repeating numbers?

You cannot use any number more than twice in any row or column.

Numbers cannot be repeated in any row or column.

Numbers cannot be repeated in rows, but they can be repeated in columns.

Numbers cannot be repeated in any row or column.

Can there be more than one answer to a KenKen puzzle?

no

Yes, each puzzle has two correct answers.

Yes, each puzzle has the same number of correct answers as its corresponding number of grids.

Each puzzle has only one correct answer.

Which numbers are used to solve a 4-by-4 puzzle?

0, 1, 2, 3

1, 2, 3, 4

1, 2, 4, 8

Numbers one, two, three and four are used to solve a 4-by-4 puzzle.

KenKen creator Tetsuya Miyamoto runs a popular year-long weekend class that accepts how many students?

5 students

20 students

50 students

Miyamoto's school accepts only the first 20 students who apply.

What kind of instruction does Miyamoto give his students?

He teaches philosophy and logic.

He does not teach his students.

He teaches his students math and science.

Miyamoto does not give any formal instruction to his students; he believes people learn better by solving puzzles on their own, thus exercising their brains.

How many puzzles can you play each day at KenKen.com?

three

six

nine

There are six new puzzles of varying difficulty each day on KenKen.com.

Are larger-grid puzzles harder to solve than smaller-grid puzzles?

Larger-grid puzzles are usually harder than the smaller-grid puzzles.

Yes, the larger the grid, the harder the puzzle.

No, size has no relation to degree of difficulty.

In general, larger-grid puzzles are harder than smaller-grid puzzles, but that's not always the case.

Which of the following is NOT a good tip if you're having difficulty solving a KenKen puzzle?

Solve cages with an even number of boxes first.

Fill in any one-box cages first.

Focus on cages with prime numbers because they have a limited number of possible solutions.

Cages with even numbers of boxes aren't necessarily easier to solve than cages with an odd number of boxes.

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